DAS SCIENCIAS DE LISBOA. 24* i 



N. XIII., p. 7.-). 

 El-Masúdi. 



" The cultivatod land is considerei! to begin from lhe 

 Eternal Islands (Fortunato Islands) cj1jJUísJ\ ^^v^l i» thfl 

 Western Ocean, which is a group of six flourishuig islands, 

 and to extend as far as lhe extreinitv of China. 



ít ííe (Ptolemy) states in his geography thát théséa of 

 the Byzantine empire ànd of Egypt (the Mediterranean) bé- 

 gins from the sea ofthe idols ofcopper fColumnae HerculisJ i 



"On thtí limits whére thése two séas , the MediterraJ 

 nean and the Ooean join , piilars of copper and stone , havé 

 beón eitected by King Hirakl the giant. Upon these piilars 

 ãrtí inscriptions and figures , which show with their handa 

 that one cannot gò fiirthcr, and that it is impraticable to na- 

 vigate beyond the Mediterranean into that sea (the ocean) , 

 for no vessel sails on it : there is no cultlvation nor a huinan 

 being; , and the sea hãs no limits neither in its deplhs nor 

 extent, for ists end is unknown. This is the sea ofdarkness, 

 also called the green stía or the surrounding sea kcsvjl ^ 

 jóa^íV' ) olAiáll ^«V- Some say that these pilIars are not oa 

 this strait, but insonie islands oí* the ocean and their coast. >^ 



)>Theré are some wonderful stories related resnectingit, 

 for which we refer the reader to our book theAkhoár ez-zeí- 

 mán ; there he wili find au account of those crews who have 



2.* SERIE. TOM. i. P^ll. HU 



